Press Release
DA KATZ AND NYPD TAKE 74 GUNS OFF THE STREETS AT BUYBACK EVENT WITH GREATER ALLEN A.M.E. CATHEDRAL IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 74 guns were collected Saturday at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Southeast Queens during a gun buyback event. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash. The event was completely anonymous, with no identification required and no questions asked.
The buyback is the 11th of DA Katz’s administration and a total of 617 firearms have been recovered to date.
District Attorney Katz said: “Gun buybacks serve as a critical tool for reducing gun violence and promoting public safety within our communities. This Saturday, working with the NYPD and clergy leaders in Jamaica, we received 74 surrendered guns – including five automatic weapons. As a result, these firearms will not be used to cause heartache and tragedy. We thank our partners at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral for hosting us and look forward to hosting additional buyback events in the near future.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “Taking illegal guns off our streets saves lives and stops senseless violence before it can happen. So far this year, the NYPD has recovered more than 2,400 firearms and gun violence is at a historic low for the first five months of the year. That’s why gun buybacks are essential because every gun surrendered is a tragedy averted. I’m grateful for our continued partnership with the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, the Queens District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Attorney General’s Office, who work tirelessly to keep our city safe.”
State Attorney General Letitia James said: “Every illegal gun taken off the streets of Queens today is a potential tragedy avoided and life saved. My office thanks District Attorney Katz and our partners in law enforcement for organizing today’s gun buyback and empowering New Yorkers to turn in their unwanted guns. We will continue to protect communities across New York and be a part of the solution against gun violence.”
The guns turned in were:
- 28 revolvers
- 23 pistols
- Five assault weapons
- Four 3D-printed ghost guns
- Three shot guns
- Two rifles
- One derringer pistol
- Eight non-specified operable weapons
The event was co-sponsored by the Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James.